Excavator



R. VOLK ExcAvAToR Sept. 7 1926.

Original FiledvOct. 19, 1921 3 sheets- Sheet 1 R. VOLK EXCAVATOR Sept. 7 1926.

original Filed oct'. 19, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 21 I gwen@ fZ/,

R. VOLK EXCAVATOR Sept. 7 1926.

"ri inal Filed Oct. 19, 92 u ,g 1 1 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5,

vPatented Sept. '17, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,598,945 PATENT OFFICE- RALPH VOLK, F IBELLINGHAH, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL B. EAMES, OF BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON.

encantaron.",y l,

y Application inea october 19, 192i'. serial no. scarno.

By way of explanation it may be stated that, ordinarily, two persons are required for the successful operation 'of an excavator, namely, one person Ato operate the engine, and another person to operate the-line which dumps thebucket. I l The foregoing being understood, it may be stated that it is one obJect of this invention to provide a simple meanswhereby the engineer, alone, may dump the bucket, the services ofone man thus being dispensed with.

` It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance theA utility-fof devices of that type to which the invention ap rtains. 4

With the a yove`and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the dei so tails of construction hereinafter described andclaimed, it beingunderstood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention `shown can be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

4In the accompanying drawings Figurel shows in side elevation, a device constructed in accordancewith the invention,gparts being broken away; Figure v2 .ispv a top plan wherein parts are broken away and sectioned; Figure 3 is a section on the line-3 -3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of Figure 2; Figure 5 isa section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Thedevice forming the subject matter of this application may be mounted on and used i inpconnection with excavators or shovels of widel p different sorts. l By Way-of illustration, owever, there is shown an excavator including a. support or truck 1 mounted on` wheels 2 and carrying a boom 3 supported vby guys 4. An arm 5 is slidably supported a in the boom 3, as is common in the art. The arm 5 carries a bucket 6'which may include a hinged bottom 7 held closed by a latch 8. The. arm 5 and the bucket 6 are operated by a flexible element 9 which may be connected at 10 to the bucket, the flexible element being passed over idlers 11 carried by the bucket `and by the boom 3.

The `flexible element 9 isvwound around a drum 12 loose on a shaft 14,- the shaft being journaled in bearings 15` on the support 1. The drum 12 may be connected to the shaft 14 through the instrumentality of a yclutch 16 operated by any suitable means 17. A gear wheel 18 issecuflfed to the shaft 14 and meshes into a pinion 19 onfa shaft 20 journalcd in bearings'21 on the support 1. The shaft 2O is operatively connected at with an engine 23 on the support 1, the en* .gine deriving its power from a boiler 24-al thougl1,'of course, whether the shaft 2O be driven by a steam engine or by` a motor of some other kind, is urel a matter of choice. The latch 8 whic 1 ho ds the bottom 7.of the bucket 6 closed is under the control of a flexible element `25 engaged around sheaves 26 on the arm 25. Heretofore, it has been the common custom to appoint one person to operate or pull the flexible element 25, thereby to dump the bucket 6, and to appoint another person to operate the clutch-16 by the means indicated at 17. As hereinbefore intimated, the present invention aims.)` to provide mechanism whereby the person operating the clutch 17 may, likewise, operate the flexible element 25 to dump the bucket 6.

`With the objects last above alluded to in View, bearings 27 are mounted on the support or truck 1, a shaft 28 being journaled in the bearings. Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the shaft 28. If rel erred, the shaft 28 may carry a gear w eel 29 meshing into a pinion 30 on a shaft 31l journaledvin an offset bearing 32 on one of the members 27. The inion meshes int the gear wheel 18 on 't e shaft 14. It may be expedient to place wheels 33 lon the ends of the shafts 28 and 20, so that the shaft 28 can be driven from the shaft 2O by means of a belt, s rocket wheel or the like, should this metho be preferred to the method em bodying the use of the gear wheel 29 and the at 40, to the shaft 28, to slide therealong, into and out of operative connection with the member 38 of the clutch. The member 39 The clutch 37 may inclu e a of the clutch 37 may be grooved circumferentially, as indicated at 41 to receive the fingers 42 of a shifting fork 43.

The numeral 44 denotes a rock shaft, including an enlarged part 47 journaled in a bearing 45 secured at 46 to one of the members 2T. The enlarged part 47 of the shaft 44 is supplied With a spiral groove 48 engaged by a projection 49, such as a screw, carried by the bearing 45. At its outer end, the rock shaft 44 is supplied with a crank arm 50 carrying a pedal51. The inner end of the rock shaft 44 is journaled in the shifting fork 43, and is held therein, as indicated at 51 so that When longitudinal movement is imparted to the rock shaft 44. as hereinafter explained, a corresponding movement will be imparted to the shifting fork 43.

A flexible element 52 is Wound about the part 35 of the drum 34 and is carried across a pulley or guide 53 -mounted on the upper end of a tubular standard 54 connected at 56 to the support 1. The flexible element 52 extends downwardly into the standard 54 a Weight 55 being attached to the lower end of the flexible element, the Weight being mounted slidably in the standard 54. Y

Let it be supposed that the drum 34 is notl connected to the shaft 28 by the clutch 37. Then,`as the bucket 6 moves, during tne operation of the machine, the drum 34 will rotate freely on the shaft 28, the flexible element 25 paying off the member 36' of the drum, Without operating the latch 8 and permitting the bottom 7 of the bucket or scoop 6 to open. The weight 55 and the flexible element 52, cooperating with the part 35 of the drum 34, impart reverse rotation to the drum and serve to take up the slack in the flexible element 25. Then it is desired to dump the bucket or scoop G, the operator simply places his foot on the pedal 51, the shaft 44 being rocl'ed. lVhen the shaft 44 is rocked, longitudinal movement will be imparted to the shaft, because the projection v49 is engaged in the spiral groove 48 of the enlarged part 47 of the shaft- "hen longitudinal movement is imparted to the shaft 44, the shaft will carry the shifting fork 43 inwardly, the member 39 of the clutch 37 being engaged with the member 38 of theclutch, the member 38, it being recalled, being carried by the member 36 of the drum 34. The .drum 34 now is coupled up With the shaft 28 androtation will be imparted to the drum 36 through a gear train comprising the gear wheel 29, the pinion 30 and the gear Wheel 18. Thus, a jerk Willbe given t'o the flexible element 25 and the latch 8 will be Withdrawn, thereby permitting the bottom 7 of the bucket' to open. The person e handling the clutcn operating means 17 may readily actuate the rock shaft 44 through the instrumentality of the pedal 51, and. thus, the services of an additional man may be vdispensed With.

What I claim is A device of the class described comprising a truck, a bucket, an arm carrying the bucket, a forwardly extended boom on the truck, the arm being slidable 1n the boom, an engine on the truck, a first shaft journale'd on the truck and disposed forwardly of the engine, a second shaft located between the engine and the first shaft and journaled on the truck, means for dumping the bucket, said means embodying a first flexible element, a first drum rotatable on the first shaft, the first flexible element being wound in one direction about the first drum, means for swinging the arm, said vmeans including a second flexible element mounted to slide on the boom, a second drum mounted to rotate on the second shaft, the second flexible element being wound about thesecond drum, a gear train connecting both shafts with the engine, clutches connecting the respective shafts with the corresponding, drums, a tubular standard mounted on the truck and located in front of the first shaft, a Weight slidably housed Within the standard, and a third' flexible element, one end of which is wound about the first drum in a direction opposite to that of the first flexible element, the third flexible element being mounted slidably on the upper end of the tubular standard, the i other end of the third flexible element being extended downwardly into the standard an being connected to the Weight, the standard constitutinllr means for preventing the Weight and the adjacent portion of the third flexible element from coming into contact with the first flexible element.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

RALPH VOLK. 

